


Shift In The Tides

by CascadingMidnight



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Chapter 5: Guarma (Red Dead Redemption 2), M/M, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26820820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CascadingMidnight/pseuds/CascadingMidnight
Summary: They were supposed to be loyal to Dutch alone, yet when things fell apart Javier didn’t walk away by himself. Often he would find himself asking the question of when things had changed between them. // expansion fic on Javier’s time during Guarma and his bond with Bill that lead to them leaving together after chapter 6
Relationships: Javier Escuella & Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella/Bill Williamson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Shift In The Tides

It made him anxious to be alone again beneath the jungle canopy while he waited for the others to return from the fort. Javier’s fear wasn’t rooted much in his own safety, but with what transpired outside of his scope of vision somewhere along the coast of Guarma. 

In their temporary hideout the wounded man listened in close to the sound of gunfire that continued to crack in the distance, deeply unsettled over the fight that went on without him. With his back against the dilapidated wall of a long ruined structure it was all he could focus on in the duration of the other four men’s absence.

So far, his luck was enough to escape capture from the enemy with his own life. Although now he was plagued with the question of whether or not they would reach nightfall with everyone else's. 

_“Have faith, we’ll be back!”_ And he did, Javier truly did believe in them. Yet it was all too soon in his mourning of their comrades they had just lost back in Saint Denis. Coupled up with their continued misfortunes he couldn’t think of anything, but what the worst outcome had in store for them.

Dutch, Arthur, Micah, and Bill all would die miles across the sea away from home. For him he’d either succumb to dehydration or a sickness caused by the hole in his leg if left there by himself, and that’s even if no one came around to finish the job themselves.

In favor, the bullet passed completely through, and though it hurt like absolute hell he could still move everything. He should count his blessings that given it gets cleaned soon he should be able to keep his leg, however that all depended on infection haven not already set in yet. 

At the bottom of the scavenged bottle of rum that laid beside him the alcohol had only numbed the injury down to a throb that remained just enough so that Javier couldn’t forget its presence. With his wounded leg sprawled out to lay limp where it rested he miserably dragged his other knee up to hold the weight of his sweaty forehead while he worried over if this morning would be the last time he saw Arthur, Dutch, or Micah. 

It didn’t sit right with him that he would have never gotten to see Bill again. 

After being rescued he woke up to find the large outlaw had been sent off alone to scout... A bothersome thought in itself, and then allegedly was already at the location Dutch and Micah went to meet Arthur with the rebels in their fight against the government.

What a nostalgic scenario, he would think perhaps if under different circumstances. In his current condition it felt more akin to even further back within the powerlessness he felt intertwined with his childhood. Confined to dependence, and possessing no means to protect those he cares about in an uncontrollable environment that he does not understand.

When footsteps finally came towards the tiny makeshift camp he stilled as his chest swelled with nerves on an undecided emotion.

“Javier!”

With Bill’s cheer it burst with relief as a party of the large outlaw and Dutch rounded the crumbled wall he leaned on. It was only the two of them with a man named Hercule the group had been working with closely behind, but the happy tone he was called in along with the confidence in their leader’s eyes let Javier know the plan had worked out.

“We have our boat,” Dutch proudly announced while Bill hurried over to where he sat.

“You’re back!” He exclaimed, and dropped down in front of him.

“As are you,” Javier smiled with his attempt at a casual greeting. On the inside his heart fluttered almost painfully in relief as the illusion of cataclysm dissipated when the other outlaw came forward. It was only ruined as Bill’s knee bumped into his thigh before he could get his arms around him. “—Ow! Careful, idiota. It’s my leg.”

“Shit, sorry! Sorry,” Bill leaned back with his hands up while Dutch approached from behind him. The older man shook his head in amusement at the two of them before he spoke.

“We’ll be heading off as soon as possible to meet up with Arthur and Micah, unless you want to take a moment to say goodbye to the scenery?”

“ _No,_ thank you. I’m done here,” Javier promptly answered to the humerus sarcasm, and grabbed onto the arm Bill offered to help him up to his feet. Together they hobbled forward before Hercule spoke up from where he stood next to Dutch.

“We would really go faster if you let yourself be carried,” The statement wasn’t meant to patronize him, but spoken plainly as a simple and honest observation. It made it that much harder to deny besides it just being right.

“...Alright,” Javier accepted with a nod before he looked up to Bill who knelt down to position his arm under his legs.

“Up—“

“What?” He bit in a hush tone, and swatted the other outlaw’s shoulder.

“ _What?”_

“You’re not carrying me like that. Turn around and I’ll wrap my arms around your shoulders,” It was bad enough for him to be out of commission, and dead weight if a fight fire broke out. Even with the decision to be carried he begged reality to let him retain even a shred of dignity. 

“Uh, ain’t that gonna hurt your leg? ...I guess I can sling you over my shoulder?”

“No, I’ll get sic—“

“We’re ready to move,” Dutch said forcefully.

“Just do it,” He softly commanded to end their quiet bickering that mortified him to have next to Dutch and this person he didn’t know.

Finally Bill shrugged to turn around and crouch down for Javier to ease against his back. He looped his arms around the large man’s neck before he felt himself hoisted up under his lower thighs. 

The pressure moved the muscles around the ripped tissue just above his left knee with a burn that radiated far past the area of his injury. His nostrils flared while he tried to bare it as much as he could with his knuckles clenched in all the strength he could muster.

“You alright?” Bill asked in an uncertain tone.

“ _I’m fine,_ ” He whispered defensively, but even as he said that he could feel his pulse start to thud throughout his whole leg in pace with his elevated heart rate. 

Once they started to walk, each step felt like he was getting shot again. At first he held back any signs of discomfort while he tried to focus on anything else but the sensation, yet the further they went the more he struggled altogether. It was about half way that Javier realized he was under threat of silently losing consciousness again, so he patted Bill’s shoulder who made a hushed noise for the group to come to a halt. 

“Carry me the other way,” He panted before he was let down on one foot for Bill to sweep him up as carefully as he could with his injured leg draped over the other one. With them cradled this way instead it offered him some relief, or at least as much as it possibly could, so he silently nodded for them to continue on their journey.

In comparison to when they started he was much too worn out to be concerned with notions of appearance when his own vision was so unfocused. Javier let his head drop against the other man’s collar bone while he regained his senses to feel foolish since they should have done it this way to begin with. He just didn’t want to show the severity of the weakness he experienced in this vulnerable state, even if it ended up impossible to do so.

The one respite for Javier was at least the one to cart him around throughout this was Bill, with whom he was comfortable enough to turn his face inward. It was a fruitless endeavor, but with his eyes closed he did his best to block out their surroundings until they reached the destination.

“It’s up ahead,” Called Hercule from the front before they all stepped out of the underbrush onto the pale sandy beach. 

Once Javier peeked from behind his messy fringe his sight was immediately met with a large metal boat that swayed ever so gently in the water. It was the most glorious vision to behold to him if it meant they got to leave this god forsaken island. Within the silhouette of the vessel sat Micah at the dock until he saw them, and hopped off his post to come toward their small party. 

“Hey Boss,” He greeted Dutch in a friendly manner with a touch to the shoulder, but it turned into a jeer well enough as he turned to regard the two of them. “Hey there princess.”

“Shut up, Micah.” Bill was quicker to respond without the delirium of pain and the alcohol drank to dissipate it, as Javier had only yet raised his head fully to give the blonde mustached outlaw the stink eye for his comment.

“ _—Boys_ ,” Dutch was quick to round them back, and put them to task with a single word to grasp their attention. They always obeyed their leader, but the tired wild look in his eyes sort of punctuated that status quo. “Now, Micah… Where is the captain?”

“He’s off doing his prior business, and then he said he’d be back.” 

“Go see if he needs any help, we need to leave as soon as possible. Since we’re here now we can guard the boat while we wait on Arthur.”

“Yes boss,” Micah nodded promptly, and rushed off to do Dutch’s bidding like always. Although in no doubt the other outlaw was probably just as eager to finally leave Guarma too.

“You should go out into the salt water to clean that wound of his. I can go inside and see if we can find some proper bandages,” Hercule interjected after they were finished from where he had already silently moved to the bottom of the wooden ramp in the length of their discussion.

The man was quiet, and when he spoke it was to point, but Javier never got the feeling Hercule was being short with them. His help was proof enough of his friendliness, as none of them would be alive to hold any opinion over him whatsoever without his assistance after all. It would seem he’s just a good man of few words, and only spoke what he thought was necessary to the situation at hand. 

Javier thinks if he had gotten the chance he would have liked this stranger.

“We are truly indebted to you sir,” Dutch stepped forward, and thanked him on behalf of the group before he turned to the two of them. “Bill, would you?”

“Sure,” He snapped to attention with a slight jolt that Javier could feel within his arms. When he looked up he didn’t know Bill was staring at him until his eyes were already darting away. “No problem.”

As the other pair of men disappeared inside he was taken over to be eased against a rock so they could both take off their shoes. In preparation he hooked his fingers into the tears of his pants to rip them wider before he was promptly hauled up again for a third time within the hour.

“...Sorry about this,” Javier apologized modestly if not a bit awkward with his arms looped back around Bill's neck.

“It’s no problem, you ain’t weigh nothing,” He said so casually that the injured outlaw had to grimace with no pride left to bear it after the brief tropical vacation he’d just endured.

“...Well you don’t have to say it like that.”

Bill cracked his first smile since when they first saw each other again, and Javier found it to ease some of the tension he held. As long as they could rapport like this with one another it restored a piece of normalcy for him. He wondered at what point it was the other man became such an integral part of that.

“You think this is good right here?” He stopped about knee deep in the wake past where the waves kicked up the sand, with their height difference it would completely submerge his wound under the water.

“It should be,” Javier confirmed, but he already mentally braced himself for the agony even before he was lowered down with hiss as he tried not to yell out profanities.

It shot all the way through his sciatic nerve while he tried to maintain his stance with an arm still over Bill’s shoulder. Under the water an attempt was made to try to put a little bit of weight on his injured leg that Javier quickly retracted and regretted once it met the ground. Stuck on one foot, much of his balance was due to where his grip allowed him to hang off the other man while he attempted to wipe the mud and dried blood off his own skin. 

He felt Bill brace his forearm, but even with the extra support a strain grew throughout the whole appendage in his stretch downward. Alongside the pain in his leg it took his breath away from him enough that he had to cease a moment to gather himself.

“Lemme help,” Bill turned to completely face him, and bent down while he kept an arm firm around his back.

Javier wasn’t in any state to refuse the offer so he balled his fists in the bearded outlaw’s already ruined shirt to help prevent himself from falling over while he seethed in air through his teeth. The salt that met his exposed flesh had his senses firing off in a way that made around where it was touched bizarrely numb, but in no way better.

“...Okay this might hurt,” Bill gave him the heads up before making sure the dirt was off both sides of the holes themselves. If even just a fiber was left from his pants it could have had him saying goodbye to his entire limb.

Javier wanted to respond that it all had hurt pretty goddamn bad, but he had to press his lips in a hard line to muffle the volume at which he wanted to scream. He could have pounded his fist if the closest surface wasn’t Bill, so he just whined and curled forward until it was over.

“I’m done! I’m done,” Bill hurried to stand up while Javier gave out a loud sigh in relief in response, as in comparison the pain was almost bearable now.

He had only released his grip a moment while the other man got upright for a wave to knock him off kilter. It provoked a brief bit of panic to jump in his chest, but Bill was quick enough to lunge forward to catch him. As fast as he tilted Javier was grabbed again and placed upright to stand on his single good leg.

Reflexively he’d flung his arms back around the large outlaw’s neck to hold himself up, but still kept them there afterward even once he realized Bill wasn’t moving. At least they had stumbled back enough to let his wound free of the water that now rhythmically rocked against his shins.

“Bill?” He prodded, but didn’t get any verbal response back. Instead Javier felt himself being pulled in tighter, and for a beat he realized just how quiet everything was besides the ocean in his view over Bill’s shoulder. Almost peaceful enough as it reflected light of the soft sunset to forget it was bane of their current circumstances while he waited for his companion to speak.

Despite everything he managed a tired smile, and rubbed the bearded man’s back as he continued to embrace him for a little longer. All of them were really just trying their best to hold it together.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there,” Bill spoke in a low voice over his rescue after the brief moment of silence, but Javier also felt guilt for his absence of help in the violence.

“Me too,” He rested his cheek against the side of the other man’s head with fatigue behind his eyelids. 

Was it too soon to be thankful? They weren’t even off the island yet, or back in the states to deal with the American authorities before they could truly be declared home free. In between now and then there would be many more close calls, and seconds that could never be turned back. Bill could be gone just as easy as the rest, yet within his reach it somehow still offered him an internal reassurance. 

“I’m glad you’re safe.” 

“Yeah, me too,” The larger outlaw pulled back to repeat his mirrored statement with a tired smile content on his exhausted features. 

There was no time to rest, but Javier found himself wondering when was the last time the other man had slept. Among the other recurrent concerns of insignificant value to their circumstances that listed through his train of thought before he even realized he was doing it again.

“Bill—”

A whistle turned both their heads towards the boat to see Dutch wave them in. He must’ve found the medical supplies so Javier closed his mouth, and decided to shelf what he was going to say until his eyes looked back to Bill who stood in wait for him to continue after their interruption. It had about crossed his mind it wasn’t that necessarily important anyway, however given the chance he easily invalidated his own second guess with how quick he took it.

“Let’s stick together,” It was a simple statement, probably even rhetorical. All of them were always saying things like that after all, but it felt more to him from where he stood dismantled in the water between just the two of them.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this! Please leave a kudos to let me know if you liked it or not. <3


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